


But It Tastes So Sweet

by WhiskyDingo (SaltybutSweet)



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Age Difference, Getting to Know Each Other, HoloBang, I don't know how to make things not angsty, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mirage's sexuality is undefined, Partners to Lovers, Slow burn perhaps?, but I promise it will be sweet, making bad life choices
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:54:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29290914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaltybutSweet/pseuds/WhiskyDingo
Summary: (Rating will go up to E in future)Elliott Witt tries his best - but after messing up in the arena in front of his new squadmate, Fuse, he throws himself a pity party at his bar and it seems like he just can't get away from the Salvonian fighter.
Relationships: Fuse | Walter Fitzroy/Mirage | Elliott Witt
Comments: 19
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> CHAPTER WARNINGS:
> 
> . Alcohol/drunkness  
> . Smoking (non-drug-related)

It had been a tough day for Elliott Witt. _Not only_ had he been put on a squad with the new hot-rod of the arena, _Fuse_ , but he’d completely shambled their chances at placing well in the Season. His usual, playful, style had been completely overshadowed by Fuse’s aggressive tactics; in short, Elliott didn’t know how to navigate around him _at all_. They’d easily wiped out a few lesser-known squads, but when it came to facing other big names, Elliott had tried to pull off his usual antics and ended up ruining Fuse’s plan of attack. A scorched arm and several miss-thrown frags later - and they’d been eliminated.   
Fuse said nothing while they sat in the med-bay, but Elliott could feel the resentment coming off him in waves. The Salvonian stared dead-ahead while he was being checked over, not even wincing as a piece of debris was pulled out of his thigh. Elliott knew he’d messed up Fuse’s debut match, and he cringed up until he was released with burn cream, a bandage, and a couple of painkillers. He didn’t even say anything to Octavio when he passed him on the way out. When he was finally outside, Elliott took out his phone and opened his socials - the shame rising as he read the comments about his day’s performance. He made a noise of frustration and threw his phone back into his satchel, trying not to think about it. He was starting to get a headache and tipped his head up to the sky, closing his eyes. The air on his face was warm and humid. It would be another rainy day in Angel City.   
  
-

Even though Elliott hadn’t placed well in the match, almost every seat in his bar was full. Most of the other legends and locals had turned up - _if only_ for a free drink and night of socializing. Elliott leaned against the edge of the bar, the neck of a bottle gripped in one hand, and a shot of something else in the other. He downed his shot and set the glass down, wiping away the sticky alcohol from his lips. He pulled a mixer down from the shelf behind him and began to prep some more drinks; when he’d poured a few out, he slid them down the bar where they were snapped up by stranger’s hands. He flashed a grin to no-one in particular and took another mouthful from his own bottle, giggling as he accidentally spilt some of it on himself. He was feeling pleasantly _fuzzy_ , and the sound of the music was dull to his ears. He started at the feeling of someone’s hand falling heavily on his shoulder and turned around.  
‘ _A-Ajayyy!_ ’ Elliott threw his arms open wide, but the stare he got back was anything _but_ impressed.   
‘You should watch ya'self.’ She set her hand on her hip, ‘this ain’t the right way.’ She grabbed the bottle from his hand and lowered it to her side.   
‘ _Aww_ , come’on.’ Elliott tipped his head onto his shoulder and pouted.   
Ajay opened her mouth, but before she could say anything else, Octavio had bunny-hopped over the bar. He spun Elliott around, his hands pulling at by his best friend who was _slightly more_ drunk than himself.  
‘Come on _ese_ , drink time!’ Octavio grinned, pulling down a fancy liquor from the top shelf and popping it open. He shot Ajay a curious look over Elliott’s shoulder and shrugged at her.   
‘Y’shouldn’t be endorsing this.’ She said, and threw the empty bottle she’d taken from Elliott into a nearby bin as she walked away.

-

Elliott stared up at the ceiling, glassy-eyed, and watched the strobes flash overhead. His legs were hanging over the bar, swinging like a child, as Octavio leaned over - head resting in one of his hands, as he talked in a mix of rapid-fire Spanish and English. Elliott nodded along, not catching a word of it. They were both too drunk to notice. People were coming and going; most of the other legends had settled into booths on the upper level, and the majority of the locals had cleared off back home. _Angel City never sleeps_ , but people still had jobs to do in the morning.  
Elliott’s attention was caught by the sound of glass crashing to his right. Ajay was walking around, picking up bottles from the floor and throwing them into a bin. Elliott waved at her as she passed, and she shot him a disapproving look in return.   
‘ _She w-worries too muchhhh_.’ Elliott slurred, bringing his own glass to his lips.  
‘Nah, _amigo_ , she worries just enough.’ Octavio threw back the last of his drink. ‘I’ll catch you later, I’m heading out.’ He saluted and pushed himself off the bar, sauntering over to the back door, and stepped out. There were still a couple of people Elliott recognized hanging around, but he was starting to feel tired and shaky.   
‘Alright, folks!’ he threw his hands up, nearly knocking himself off-balance, ‘time to go home!’   
Ajay seemed pleased with that and began doing rounds with Makoa, who had appeared from inside one of the booths, to herd the remaining people out. Elliott slid off the bar and got to his feet. He was starting to feel uncomfortably hot and the tips of his bangs were sweaty. He staggered over to the back door to get some air, pushing down on the bar to crack it open. He walked out a little too quickly and was caught short by his body colliding with someone else’s. Elliott looked up, hand cradling his head, to see Fuse looking back down at him.  
‘ _A-Ah, s-shit_ , sorry!’ Elliott held out his hands in front of him, apologetically. ‘W-Walter, _wasss it?_ ’   
Fuse’s expression didn’t change.   
Elliott nearly lost his footing and fell against the wall behind him, nails scraping the concrete as he tried to steady himself.   
‘There ya are!’   
The door swung open between them, and Ajay stormed out. ‘I thought’cha wouldn’t be stupid enough to try t’ leave on ya own!’   
Elliott groaned and let his head roll back.  
‘It’s alright, I got him.’ Walter stepped forward, placing a hand on Ajay’s arm; she shot him a dirty look, but he brushed it off. He stubbed out his cigarette against the wall and tossed it to the ground.  
‘Ya sure ‘bout that?’ Ajay raised her brow.  
‘Yeah, I’m headin’ back myself.’ Walter pushed past her and wrapped his arm around Elliott’s side, pulling him upright.   
‘Alright then, ya better make sure nothin’ happens to him, ya hear me?’ she said, ‘I got some work t’ do. Let him know I locked up.’ She reached into Elliott’s pocket and took out a pair of keys, spinning them around her finger before heading back inside the club.  
Walter looked down at the man hanging off his shoulder, Elliott’s head lolling side-to-side as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.  
‘You’re lucky you got a friend like that, mate.’ Walter said, making sure Elliott was secure in his hold before walking him out onto the street.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Walter takes Elliott home and they have a bad time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER WARNINGS:
> 
> . Alcohol/drunkness  
> . Smoking (non-drug-related)  
> . Vomit/throwing up  
> . Anxiety attack (but not mentioned by that name)

The air was humid against Walter’s skin as he half-dragged Elliott down the street. The sun was still a few hours away from rising- but the glow of city lights was enough for Walter to see where they were headed.   
‘You don’ need me to tell you,’ Walter said, ‘but you shouldn’ make a habit out’a this.’   
Elliott whined a small noise of protest, still too inebriated to talk.  
‘So, you gonna tell me where you’re livin’?’ Walter shuffled Elliott’s weight on his side - not used to hauling dead-weight since his Salvo days.  
Elliott mumbled something and reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. His hands were slick with sweat and alcohol residue, but he managed to unlock it. He tried to open the maps app, but fumbled, and the phone fell to the sidewalk.  
‘Oh boy, you _are_ havin’ a shocker.’ Walter leant over to pick it up, _tsk’ing_ at the cracked screen. It was still unlocked, luckily, and Walter flipped through it until he found directions to Elliott’s apartment complex.   
‘Right ‘o.’ He put the coordinates into his own phone and set it to a street view before handing Elliott’s phone back over. ‘We got’a bit of a walk ahead of us.’   
As they made their way past an open club, Elliott began to shake and, in a moment, Walter had him propped up against the entrance.   
‘No use in all this.’ Walter shrugged out of his leather jacket and pulled Elliot’s arms through it. It fit big on the younger man - the sleeves reaching past his hands, but it would keep him warm.   
Walter was still new to the planet, and although he _somewhat_ knew where the tram stations were, the running times and routes were anyone’s guess. He pulled directions up for the nearest one and was thankful that it was only a short walk away. He pulled Elliott against his hip and began to walk again; he was starting to feel the chill, now he was jacket-less, and took out his pack of cigarettes. He stuck one between his teeth and lit the end, taking in a few drags, before shoving his lighter and the pack back into his pocket- they didn’t make them on Talos like they did on Salvo and he was still getting used to the taste. Elliott’s shaking was growing more intense and the sound of his teeth clattering was audible over the passing traffic.   
‘Alright, pup, that’s enough.’ Walter had intended on keeping them low-profile but realized he would be dragging Elliott across the ground by the time they reached the station. He bent his knees, and in one movement, swung Elliott over his shoulder and carried him the rest of the way.   
A tram was already in the station as Walter lowered Elliott back onto his feet. He scanned his phone across the pay-port and boarded, helping Elliott settle into a window seat - if anyone minded him smoking, they didn’t say anything. He watched the blue dot on his screen blinking as they moved along the hover-rails - two stops and they’d be close enough to walk to Elliott’s complex. Walter looked across at him; Elliott was groaning quietly to himself and shaking so much that Walter could _feel_ it through the seat. _Poor kid_ , he reached over to push Elliott’s curls away from his face.  
‘You gotta relax your jaw, mate.’ He said, rubbing his thumb across Elliott’s cheek, ‘gonna crack a tooth at this rate.’   
Elliott opened his mouth slightly and sucked in a breath, his teeth still chattering.   
Walter knew something was really wrong when they reached the first stop. Elliot’s groaning had turned into a steady stream of low whimpers and his knuckles were white from gripping his shirt; he was almost shaking out of his seat and when Walter reached out to touch his arm.   
‘Hold on, pup,’ he patted Elliott’s shoulder, ‘nearly there.’  
He looked out of the window, into the dark - the lights of apartment towers, casinos and clubs flashing by as they shot across the light rails.

-

  
Walter couldn’t get them off the tram fast enough when they pulled into the second stop. He took Elliott in his arms and hauled him out of the carriage and onto the platform, spitting out his cigarette and crushing it under his heel. He set his phone to audio directions and slung Elliott across his shoulders, knowing it would be a waste of time to try and help him up the steps. As he walked out onto the street, Walter noticed that the neighbourhood they were in was quieter - just outside of the city centre, and the sound of people talking on their balconies and the occasional dog barking could be heard as they passed through. His phone started to buzz against his leg as he rounded a corner and veered out onto the sidewalk that led to the complex. Elliott had started to shift in his hold and groggily pawed at Walter to let him down. Walter lowered him to his feet and helped him over to the reception doors, propping Elliot up whilst he fumbled through his pockets. He pulled out a beaten-up key-card and slid it through the reader.  
The cool air of the lobby made Walter shiver as he helped Elliott stumble to the elevator. He scanned the card across the panel and the door opened with a hiss. The ride was quiet, apart from Elliott’s small whimpers and the electric hum of the overhead lights. The doors opened with a ding and Walter helped Elliott out across the landing - at least he had privacy, living on a separate floor. Elliott ran his card over a scanner on the door and swung it open. Dim white lights hummed and flickered on as they made their way inside. The apartment was nice - if a little less exuberant than Walter had expected it to be considering Elliott’s loud personality.   
Elliott was still shaking, and, as Walter set him down on the couch, he made a guttural noise that the Salvonian knew all-too-well.   
‘ _Fuck_ ,’ Walter swore, grabbing the food-waste basket from the kitchen counter and shoving it into Elliott’s hands as he began to throw-up. The acrid stench of alcohol was intense and Walter could tell that it was most of what had been in Elliott’s stomach.   
‘ _Easy._ ’ He sat down beside Elliott and gathered his curls out of his face as Elliott began to cry. ‘You really overdid it this time, mate.’  
When Elliott had stopped retching, Walter took the bin from him and set it down, Elliott falling sideways against his shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes - Walter rubbing Elliott’s arm in a soothing pattern while he shook, the last of the younger man’s energy fading. When he realized that Elliott had started to fall asleep, Walter picked him up and carried him through into a dark room in the back that he had guessed was Elliott’s bedroom. The same dim lights flickered on as he lowered Elliott onto the sheets, propping up a few cushions behind his back to stop him from falling. He tugged at Elliott’s trainers, pulling them off and then reached for his jacket, but Elliott was shaking so badly that Walter thought it would be unfair to stress him out even more by trying to remove it.   
‘I wouldn’ feel right leavin’ you alone like this.’ Walter said, running a gloved hand through his hair. ‘You’re sloshed right now anyway. I’m in there if you need me.’   
He walked across the room and picked up a chair, propping it in the doorway on his way out. He made his way into the kitchen area and began opening cabinets, looking for a glass. He took two out and ran the sink for a few moments before filling them with water. He set them aside, then dipped his head under the flow, washing away the sweat and city grime from his face. He could hear Elliott moaning from his room and picked up the glasses, setting one on the low coffee table in front of the couch and took the other through into the bedroom.  
‘Here.’ He said, holding the glass out for Elliott.   
He took a few slow sips and shakily lowered the glass onto his bedside table before resting back against the pillows. Walter headed back into the other room and sat down on the couch, picking the remote up off the table and drinking his own water as he turned the television onto a shopping channel. He turned the sound up loud enough for Elliott to be able to hear - he reckoned the sound of people talking might relax him a little. He kicked off his boots and stretched out across the couch, looking through the large windows, out onto the cityscape. He took out his pack and chewed at an unlit cigarette, watching the lights of the apartment building opposite them blinking on and off until he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all!  
> This chapter took a little longer to release than was planned due to some stuff in my personal life- hope it was worth the wait. I know this one was a little short, but I'm planning on making the third chapter longer! I also found out that Aussie slang is basically 95% the same as British - so it made my characterisation job a lot easier with Fusey.  
> Thank you to everyone who left nice comments, I really wasn't expecting that kind of feedback. Every single one of you who's left a comment or kudos has made me smile. 
> 
> \- Dingo


	3. Chapter 3

New chapter in the works! Sorry for no update this week. I was busy doing interviews and I managed to get onto a teacher training course!!   
Things will resume as usual now interview hell is over! See you in the next chapter.  
-Dingo


End file.
